Psalm 34

Well good morning, Park Family! If we haven’t met yet, my name is Dan and I serve here as one of the Pastors for Park | Forest Glen along with Brenton Smith…we’re so glad you’re able to join us today.

Also a quick shout out to those of you watching online right now!

Over the summer, we’ve been in a series through the Old Testament book of Psalms. And through this series, we’ve tried to hit all the different genres of Psalms in the first section of this book.

Today is the last day of the Psalm series and we’re kicking of our next series on Sunday, September 4th as we look at the New Testament letter of First Corinthians…which is going to be…fun.

And just as a teaser, we’re kicking off this series with something we’ve never done at Park before…you don’t want to miss next week!

Introduction

Alright, if you have a bible with you, meet me in Psalm 34. Psalm 34.

I’ve been looking forward to this Psalm all summer. I think it’s the perfect one to end on because it brings together so many of the themes we’ve been talking about the last 3 months. Remember, what we’ve been saying over and over again is the Psalms really are an invitation to a wise and meaningful life! They show us the kind of life we’ve been created by God to live. And they invite us to make a course correct and take on this new way of life.

And this is exactly what Psalm 34 does…but not in a way that’s super obvious when you first read it.

See, Psalm 34 asks us a very personal question.

Where is my hiding place? The word Psalm 34 uses is refuge. And what I mean by that in particular is: where do you go…or maybe what do you go to…when you’re in a rough spot?

When you’ve just got some bad news…maybe it’s a health update you weren’t expecting…either for yourself or someone you deeply care about. Maybe it’s bad news from work…or just something out of the blue that you were not expecting and don’t feel ready for. Where do you run? What do you reach for to help you cope with all this?

We’ve all got something…we’ve all got a refuge. What’s yours?

So if you’re not there yet, open with me to Psalm 34. If you have one of he house bibles, it’s on page ***. It will also be on the screen behind me…and just a reminder that we’ve been using the Christ Standard Bible translation for this series.

Psalm 34 (CSB)

Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. 3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! 9 You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. 11 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. 16 The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. 19 One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.

PRAY

Searching for Refuge

Alright, let’s get started.

Two things we need to know about Psalm 34.

1. There is a back story…we’ll look at that in moment.

2. There is very unique structure to this Psalm…but you can only see it in the original language it was written in; Hebrew, not English....we’ll look at that too.

And we need to know both of these things to see what this Psalm is talking about!

The Backstory

First, though, the back story.

Look at those words right before v.1 starts.

We call this the superscript. These words are actually part of the bible. They’re not like the chapter headings publishers put in. In fact, in the Hebrew bible, verse one always starts at the superscript.

Most of the Psalms have a superscript that give some general info about the Psalm…usually they tell us the genre or the author or something like that.

But Psalm 34 is unique of the ones we’ve seen this summer because the superscript points to a very specific point in David’s life…and basically says, “This Psalm is all about that thing David did.”

So look at those words:

Psalm 34 (CSB)

Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.

And I’m sure some of us hear that and we’re like, “Okay…so…sounds like there’s a bit of a story behind that...”

And there is!

1 Samuel 21:10–15 (ESV)

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

You can turn there in your bibles…in the house bibles it’s on page: 244.

The Old Testament books, 1 and 2 Samuel, tell the story of the people of Israel and their first two Kings; Saul and David. David, is regarded as the greatest King in the Old Testament. Of all the different Kings of Israel, David is the gold standard and all the rest are compared to him.

But, he was not a perfect king. In fact, 1 and and 2 Samuel have several stories that point out the David was deeply flawed…and he did some pretty messed up things. It’s actually one of the things I love about reading the Old Testament is that it really doesn’t pull any punches when it it talks about these major figures in the Biblical storyline.

1 Samuel 21:10-15, which is what Psalm 34 references, is one of those kinds of stories…it’s not holding anything back against David…what he does here is foolish.

You might remember that before David became king of Israel, the current king, Saul, was trying to get rid of him. He saw David as a threat…the people seem to like David a whole lot more than him, and so he’s looking for David to kill him.

So David is on the run…that’s not the issue.

In Chapter 21 he crosses a line. He goes over to the enemies of Israel and offers his services to them as a mercenary. Interestingly enough, you remember the story of David and Goliath…in chapter 21, David goes to Goliath’s home town.

He sees this place as a refuge. He’s running from a very real problem…and he’s looking for something that’s going to make it all okay.

David kind of realizes he’s made a terrible mistake because no one really trusts him there…they have every reason to kill him too…so fakes a mental illness…which so how buys him some time to sort things out.

And if you keep reading the story, over the next couple chapters…he builds up an alliance with these folks…and even get’s his own army together of other Israelites to go and raid, other Israelite towns and villages! He’s completely flipped.

This whole thing is a dark spot on his character told as a low point in David’s life.

And on one level, I think there is a way this kinda makes sense to us. Because if you look at this from the 90,000 feet…what’s happened is that David is a pretty precarious situation…he’s got the king relentlessly looking for him to kill him…and in response, he’s looking for somethings that’s going to protect him from all this…he’s looking for a refuge.

And on that level, we get that, because that’s essentially human nature! And while the issues we encounter, are not often life and death in the same way it was for David…we do hit these really hard seasons or problems that prompt us to run to someone or something. We look for protection…reprieve…something that will take the edge off even if for just a moment. Just like David, we’re wired to find refuge somewhere.

And the scary thing is, that it often works…at least for a moment.

Think about the last really challenging day you had. Like where it just feels like everything’s going wrong…

Maybe it was a work thing that kinda blew up on you…and you come home just angry and frustrated from what happened. How easy is it for you to end up taking that frustration out on your roommates, or you family in how you talk to them…you’re on edge and it comes out. Well, you’ve found your refuge…it’s the throne you sit on at home…that puts you (at least in your own mind) in a position of power. It why you end up talking to family and friends in ways that you’d never talk to a boss or co-worker. It’s your refuge.

Of course, that may not be your thing…maybe your refuge is something a bit more hidden and easily concealable. It might be in that same moment for you, that you pick up your phone and you head to same app or website…the one you promised last week you wouldn’t go to any more. And images fill your mind that, for a moment, give you relief from what you’re really stressed out about…it gives you a hit of dopamine that makes you feel a lot better…in the moment. Pornography is your refuge.

You can add that list a whole bunch of other things…we run to for refuge. The question is not do I have a refuge…it’s what is my refuge?

You see just like David, we end up running somewhere to something or someone. This is part of what it means to be human; we are made to cling and clutch.

And just like David, we do it all the time.

But what we fail to realize is that just because something offers protection, doesn’t make it make safe…it doesn’t make it good.

It’s like we’ve stumbled upon a cave in the middle of a storm…only to find a bear.

Now, jump back to Psalm 34…and look at those first few words again.

Psalm 34 (CSB)

Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.

It let’s us know that everything that is about to be said in the rest of the Psalm has to do what all of what we just talked about. The question is how does it relate? Because, I don’t know if you picked up on this when we first read it…doesn’t seem like it has much to do with that story.

Structure of Psalm 34

But here’s what’s going on.

Remember, I said we needed to know two things about this Psalm in order for us to really get what it’s saying. The first was that backstory, the second is the structure.

See what you can’t see in English translations is that this in Acrostic Psalm.

You remember this from school, an acrostic poem is when each line begins with the next letter of the Alphabet. So in an Acrostic poem in english, the first word in the first line would start with A…the first word in the second line would start with B…you get the idea.

Now, the reason we don’t see it in our English bibles is because, if you think about it, it’s incredibly difficult to have acrostic poems work across different languages…the bottom line is that the words are just not the same!

But here’s the point. The reason why some of the Psalms are in this Acrostic structure is because the author of those Psalms wanted to make it super memorable for the original audience. It’s like he’s sayin, “I want you to be able to call this to mind…to come back to these words…to know them…to meditate on them…to cling to them!

I said Psalm 34 is like a commentary on David’s story in 1 Samuel 21. And the bottom line is Psalm 34 is saying, this is what David should have been thinking about…this is what he should have had come to mind when he needed a refuge!

And because we encounter these kinds of experiences all the time when we need to take refuge…because it’s such a common part of being human…Psalm 34 is a message to us saying, “Bring these things to mind when you are running to your refuge! Take hold of these truths…cling to these promises when you take refuge!

Why?

Because like I said, not everything that offers protection is safe…not every refuge is good.

Psalm 34 is saying, come to the one that is.

Transition

Now, I know that feels like A LOT of background before we even get to even v. 1 of Psalm 34…but I think once we get all that, now we’re ready to see what God has for us in the rest of the Psalm.

A Renewed Mind - Worship

And right from the beginning, Psalm 34 talks about the kind of people we need to be as we encounter any kind of challenging experience. Look with me starting at v. 1 (Psalm 34:1-3)

Psalm 34:1–3 (CSB)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. 3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.

And this is talking about the baseline of who we are…that we are to be a worshiping people. Like if we’re going to be ones who find true refuge…that is safe and good…a refuge that we desperately want…deeply need…then first and foremost, we need to be a people who are in the regular, on going practice of worship.

Psalm 34:1 (CSB)

1 I will bless the Lord...

Psalm 34:2 (CSB)

2 I will boast in the Lord...

Psalm 34:3 (CSB)

3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness...

And the point is not that these are the only things we think or talk about…but that we don’t live in such a way that we compartmentalize our relationship with God.

For so many, we think of this time on a Sunday morning, when we happen to be here, is our time with God. And we pack it up when we walk out the go about the rest of our lives until we come back here again. And Psalm 34 is saying, no!

Our relationship with God is not meant to be put in a box and taken out when it serves us best…it is meant to be an all encompassing encounter with the Living God…in whom we find ourselves…we find true life…who helps us make sense of the world we live in…who desires us to enjoy Him and life he’s created us for!

And when we put him back in the box until next week or next month…or whenever…that’s when we find ourselves falling for another refuge…chasing after something else that promises fulfillment and joy and happiness.

Gospel Brings A Renewed Mind

And this is not something we can just will ourselves to do…and I am not saying that what we should do leave this place and try really hard to think about God more.

Psalm 34 invites us to come and experience the kind of relationship that brings about verses 1-3 (Psalm 34:1-3). Look at the first part of v. 8, (Psalm 34:8

Psalm 34:8 (CSB)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

It is an invitation to come to him and experience his Goodness…to experience him as our one true refuge!

And I love how tactile those words are…taste and see. Right? It’s talking about an encounter with the living God who invites you to come to Him…and what we find is that he is GOOD. He invites us to take shelter in Him because he is GOOD…He becomes our refuge and in Him we find safety that is beyond anything else this world has to offer.

And friends, we taste and see that He is good…by placing our faith in Jesus. By coming to Him and recognizing that, on our own, we , like David have sought another refuge…that we looked for something else…that we have given our lives to something else that looked good, that promised good…and in our moment of crisis, we’ve sought refuge in a place that never actually satisfies!

But you see, faith in Jesus, in his Death and Resurrection, is what allows us to taste and see the Lord is good!

And the consistent message of the New Testament is that what happens when we taste and see…is that we experience transformation....that this changes the way we think and engage in the world around us!

Romans 12 speaks of a renewed mind that we have by faith in Jesus. A renewed mind that, more and more, brings us into alignment with Psalm 34:1-3…that we bless the Lord, boast in the Lord, proclaim the Lord…because we have tasted and seen that He is good!

Promises to Remember

And it’s out of this renewed mind…when we taste and see…that we finally find a way to take refuge in Him!

You see what follows this invitation to taste and see is a list of promises about who our God is and how we engages with us. And friends, the point is that we are to cling to these things…that we hold on to them…desperately…as we find in these words, over and over again, the promise that we have refuge in Him…and it’s a refuge that is safe, lasting, and good!

Look at the second half of v. 8 again...

Psalm 34:8 (CSB)

8 ...How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

Happy…blessed…we find joy in Him as our refuge.

Psalm 34:9–10 (CSB)

9 You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

When He is our refuge, we have what we need.

Psalm 34:15–17 (CSB)

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. 16 The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.

When he is our refuge, he is attentive to us!

Psalm 34:18 (CSB)

18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

When he is our refuge, he is NEAR to us!

Psalm 34:22 (CSB)

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.

When he is our refuge, he redeems us!

Conclusion

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